How Can Your Healthcare Benefit from Social Media?
Wirting in “Healthcare in the Age of Social Media,” Nick van Terheyden, MD tells of a trip to Ireland where social media helped save the trip. Van Terheyden says:
“A recent trip to the Emerald Isles to visit family and friends found us in another country and short on medication. The discovery came late on Saturday evening which could have meant another 36 hours before we could speak to a clinician during normal working hours, obtain a replacement prescription and fill it.”
He continues: “The issue was not urgent enough to head to the nearest Emergency Room but waiting an extended period of time seemed unwise. We had a reservation for a local restaurant with the family complicating the challenge. As a participant in social media and constant advocate of the power of social media this seemed like an ideal opportunity.”
The ‘opportunity’ turned out to be ideal according to the rest of the story. Be sure to read. It is a perfect story to show the evolution in healthcare delivery.
Healthcare is undergoing a tsunami of change. That is not debatable. Anyone still breathing can attest to that.
But what can be up for debate is how to navigate healthcare’s social media rules. Providers, agencies and brands are seeking to create engaging social content while still following rules and regulations.
There are many benefits to the marriage of social media and healthcare. To name just a few:
- Countering Misinformation,
- Public Health Monitoring,
- Engaging Citizens, and
- Patient Support and Education
Counter Misinformation
“Health care systems must provide trusted information,” says Michael Yoder, Spectrum Health’s social media consultant. “Social media is key to getting that information into the public’s hands.”
But the information must be accurate and timely.
Dr. Zubin Damania, known on social media as ZDoggMD, has fun social videos which counter irresponsible health claims. His following on Facebook have grown to more than a million.
Over on Twitter, Dr. David Juurlink pushes out vital information about the ongoing opioid crisis. Juurlink is also dedicated to taking down health non-science.
Public Health Monitoring
People post everything online — including their health. Hashtags like #flu can show when diseases are appearing in new location and public health organizations can get a sense of the severity of symptoms.
“Social media offers advantages of traditional data sources, including real-time data availability, ease of access and reduced costs,” says professors Michael Paul and Mark Dredze in their book, Social Monitoring for Public Health.
Citizen Engagement
Healthcare issues are often tricky to talk about even with doctors. If the problem is private or embarrassing, open discussion can crumble and impedes delivery of effective healthcare.
For instance, the American Sexual Health Association, or ASHA, says just 12% of young people report being tested for sexually transmitted diseases in the last 12-months. But over half of STDs affect those between 15 and 24.
ASHA wanted this group to view STD testing as another component of taking care of their own health and built a healthcare social media campaign.
The central piece was a social video where comedian Whitney Cummings talked to college students about sexual health. The video was seen by over 3.6 million in 10 weeks and Facebook ads drove 77% of 107,000 visits to the campaign’s landing page.
Patient Support and Education
Another place healthcare professionals and patients are interacting is Facebook groups. The interactions include patient support and education. One study found that a Facebook group for coronary heart disease patients triggered an increase in cardiac rehabilitation participation.
The Times Are a’Changin
Using social media in healthcare presents incredible opportunities. Social media is morphing into the perfect platform to share important health information while also gathering real-time research data.
But the most important aspect is social media is helping support patients.
The Takeaway
The lesson to be learned? Ways to improve both access to healthcare and the delivery of the service can be done safely and securely. But thinking must evolve, change and grow. The “we never did it that way before” approach just doesn’t apply in the new age of technology and connectivity.
Modern lives are going digital. Healthcare is no exception. Social networks have become an important health resource and not just for millennials. Almost 90% of older adults have used social media to seek and share health information.
I am an American freelance writer living the expat life in Argentina. I’m always on the hunt for freelance jobs while I hammer away the days at any of Buenos Aires’ sidewalk cafes. Contact me at jandrewnelson2@gmail.com
Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.

